Vigorous pruning means heavier blooming. A hardy plant for sunny dry spots and one of the longest-blooming semi-shrubs around, lavender (genus Lavandula) would earn a place in most sunny gardens even if it didn’t have such a … [Read more...]
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES AND GRASS-LIKE PLANTS
Ornamental grasses and grass-like plants are valued in home landscapes for their hardiness, ease of care, dramatic appearance, and the wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes available. More: … [Read more...]
A Host of Hostas
Hostas are a go-to plant for almost any gardener dealing with shade to part-shade in the garden. The one glaring exception is that hostas are deer favorites. If you live in deer country you know that plantings featuring tulips, hosta and daylilies … [Read more...]
Maximize Your Basil Harvest- 3 Mistakes to Avoid
Do you want your basil plant to be big and lush? Here's some quick tips to ensure you enjoy the largest yield from your basil plants. Check out this YouTube presentation by Stacy Murphy (Sep 14, 2016) … [Read more...]
Caring for Your New Plants
Here are some tips from Wildflower Center horticulturists for promoting healthy growth of your new plants: https://www.wildflower.org/learn/how-to/care-for-your-new-plants A note from Bedford Extension Master Gardener KathyN: The Lady Bird … [Read more...]
Container gardening with vegetables & herbs tip sheet
Nothing tastes as good as fresh produce. It tastes even better when you pick it in your own garden. What if you don’t have much space or no yard? You can have some vegetables and herbs growing on a sunny patio, porch, or deck in containers. A few … [Read more...]
Nasturtium
Nasturtium is both a decorative garden annual as well as a useful culinary herb. There are two types of nasturtium; a trailing type (Tropaeolum majus) that can be trained to climb or allowed to spread on the ground and a bush type (Tropaeolum minus) … [Read more...]
Underused Native Plants: Common Blue Violets
There is a reliable palette of native plants common in the trade today from Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) to Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) to Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). But there are many … [Read more...]
How to Grow Virginia Bluebells
Native to North America, bluebells are charming woodland plants that thrive in partial to full shade. Also known as Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), the plants can be found in prolific numbers in woodland areas, particularly in the eastern … [Read more...]
THE SOCRATES PROJECT – Poisonous Plants in Virginia
Tens of thousands of exposures to poisonous plants are reported annually to Poison Control Centers throughout the US, and hundreds of such incidents are reported each year to the Blue Ridge Poison Center in Virginia. More... … [Read more...]